The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1887-04-07
Az ALASKA FOREST.
Enormous Trees Surrounded by Vost
Fields OF Ice.

Wandering around near camp was
struck with astonishment ut the great
siZa of the trees of the forest into which
VIC had crept Within twenty feet of
our campfire were two trees, one ct
which measured twelve feet seven inches
and lhe other seTcn,cen feet in circUin-
ference at the height OF 4 persons arlir
from the ground. Tho latter had IFS
thick, shaggy bark stripped of nearly to
the ground. being 4 dead tree, and thus
losing much i'll is measurement About
'hiriy yards from camp Was tree thai
gave twenty-one feet IN circumference
at about six feet from the ground. The
most astonishing part WIS that such =
forest should be found actually sur
rounded by ice ten 10 twenty mics
across il every direction. OF courss it
is reasonable 10 suppos: that trees were
here beforo the ice, and tna; this forest
probably once connected with the Ior-
ests Of The great fat lands. Here was
undoub:ed evidence that this small for
est was being obiiterated rapidly by the
advancing front OF the Guyot glacier.
the foot-icc grinding the huge trees into
pulp and splInters as surely as 4 quartz
crIisher grinds the rock into powder.
Trees five and six feet through were
ben: over and spiintered rs if they were
brush. while some OF the fallen trunks
were split longitldiaaiiy into perfect
kindliag-woo,!.. Il WAS the mills OF the
gcds grinding slowly, etc. Nor were
they grinding 50 very slowly either, rs
one could see by comparing them with
other glacial action near ioT. Bat lit
lie way of. probably a h:.lf-mils 10 q
mile away, was = small ciamp of woods.
into which the glacier i'll the past had
proiru,iefi, as shown by the f=lien shat
tered trunks that lay hear tho edge OF 3
small moraine, from which the glacier
had now re;reated a great number OF
rods. Dat freTn the bris.ling line Of
shattered tree trunks piled over each
cther for nearly or fully u hundred yards
aii ihe spruce trees were dead but still
standing. their whitened trunks and
long, gaunt limbs contrasting strangely
and conspicuc;isly with the trees still
covered with foi!age that formed their
background. These dead eyergreens
had been actually killed by the proxi-
nifty to the ice without its touching
them, and either by its chilling iniiu-
ence. kept up throughout the year Tor
probably centuries, or the constant ap-
piication OF the icc-water about their
roots preventing their growth: fer along
this fo0t-ice there WAS always = narshy
; stream OF ics-watcr draining of 10 the
nearest muddy creek or rill. This WAS
trEe Of the glacier foot not over lily
yards from our camp in the forest, for
here we got Car wafer for cooking pur
poses but here, also, the ice Of the gi;l-
cier had evidently come forward so fast
that the trees were rather killed by di-
rect crushing of their trunks and limbs
ti,an by the slower one Of the influence
of great masses of ice near b., and i;
WAS possible 10 sit down on this foot-;cc
OF the Guyo: glacier, probably ten 20
twenty feet thick al !hat point, ana III
th,. same time be under the sh;lsie of Il
huge evergreen tree. if person desires
two such cooling influences ut the Same
time. Ihus came 10 the conclusion
that the front OF this great glacier WIS
ike the fingers OF some hugo radi.tino
animal rroloagi!g themselves outward
and retracting again at long intervals,
that would require many hnman lives
one after Tie other Id measure I single
stride and it's backward flow f'Eedej.
tc,s Sc..sc1tIs.l. in .Nrw Iork I.ia&s.